Fikret Kizilok

Fikret Kızılok (born November 10, 1946 in Istanbul, Turkey) was a Turkish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, considered to be a pioneer of Anatolian rock. After graduating from high school, Kızılok studied dentistry while learning the accordion and guitar, forming Cahit Oben 4, a Beatles-inspired nightclub band. In 1967, upon finishing dentistry school, Kızılok released “Ay Osman – Sevgilim (Colours – Baby)”, his first solo single, followed by a cover of “Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım / Benim Aşkım Beni Geçti” in 1969, which charted at Number 1. In the 1970s, Kızılok collaborated with various politically active poets, setting their work to atonal compositions, paving the way for the innovative musical stylings that defined his later career. In 1983 he released Zaman Zaman (From Time to Time), considered by many to be one of the most prominent acoustic pop albums in Turkish music history. In 1990, Kızılok released Yana Yana followed by Olmuyo Olmuyo!, an album defined by synth and vocal experimentation, before returning with the more commercially successful Yadigar in 1995. Between 1995 and 1998, he composed two symphonic poems “Vurulduk Ey Halkim” and “Mustafa Kemal: Devrimcinin Guncesi”. Kızılok died in Istanbul from a heart attack on September 22, 2001, having received thirteen gold records over the course of his career. His final song “Kumsalda” was performed by Eurovision champion Sertab Erener in 2003.